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Man crashes car into brother

A Delhi man was injured Wednesday when a vehicle came crashing into the converted garage he uses as an apartment. The Merced County Sheriffs Department suspects the mans brother is responsible for the crash.
- photo by Photo Contributed

Sibling rivalry took a violent turn Wednesday in Delhi when a man caused a vehicle to crash through his brother’s home, trapping him in the rubble for nearly a half hour, the Merced County Sheriff’s Department reported.

The victim, a 38-year-old man, sustained unspecified injuries and was being treated at Emanuel Medical Center, said sheriff spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie.

The suspect, Gene Hinds, 40, was taken into custody soon after the event on suspicion of assault and making terrorist threats.

The impetus for the incident was unknown, but MacKenzie said the brothers have been engaged in an ongoing dispute.

The incident began shortly around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at a home in the 9000 block of Hillside Drive in Delhi. According to the sheriff’s department, Hinds, angered over something, backed his Dodge Caravan into his brother’s parked car, which caused it to crash through a garage wall.

The garage was a converted apartment the victim was using. MacKenzie said the victim was eating at the time the car came crashing through his apartment. The victim was struck by the car and pinned up against it and the debris for about 30 minutes before he was freed by rescue personnel, MacKenzie said.

It’s unknown if Hinds knew his brother was in the apartment at the time, MacKenzie said.

Sheriff’s deputies found Hinds driving the Caravan in the area of El Capitan and Vincent roads. MacKenzie said there was noticeable damage to the rear of Hinds’ vehicle.

Deputies had already been searching for Hinds before the altercation on the suspicion he made terrorist threats against his brother on Tuesday.